MdDave

when do you all gut your deer? in the woods after a kill or do you load it up an gut it later. reason i ask is i see pictures on here of people deer in the back of pick-ups an not gutted. ive gutted all mine in the woods before i drag it anywhere. although i seen one guttedafter it was hung up. worked pretty slick skun it then gutted it.. stuff jus fell out right into the bucket

hinkleid

I too am curious as to the same question. They say "clean as soon as possible", hence field dressing. This is what I have always done. During deer season, I have seen many deer not gutted being transported to wherever.

I am curious as to the proper time frame in which you should get this done. I have read before that for the best quality meat, it should be done immediately. However many bowhunters (and 243 shooters ) have to retrack the next day. So, it seems that the meat must still be good after sitting all night and not being cleaned?? I would think by that time that the animal has cooled completely.

Everytime I have cleaned the animal has still been very warm. Would be nice to transport a couple hours home though. In the field it can be a PITA gutting, the blood, the hair, the dirt...

I do think that honestly, many hunters skip cleaning in the field and choose the comforts of going somewhere more convenient, if living near the hunt site. Hang, then all goes into a big bucket like you said. Much easier as I have seen it done.

CamoCop

some hunting area's where i hunt prefer you to bring the deer to them ungutted to be checked in and tagged. this way they can gut the deer and collect the kidney's and jaw bone for research. other area's i hunt don't care what you do. most of the time i don't gut mine. i hunt close to home and i find it easier to hang the deer up by it's hind legs and skin him ungutted. this makes for a quick and less messy job. i don'ttake the tender loins or ribs due to the lack of if any meat. this way i can dispose of the carcass with the guts still intact all in one.

Steve F.in MD

It seems to be a regional thing is my observation. Many of my friends in the south do not gut in the field because they can usually drive close to the animal. Here in the NE most people gut em where they fall because we have to drag them out and sometimes that can be a long haul. If the deer has been shot in front of the diaphram (lungs/heart) and it's not too warm (35 or lower)I don't think there is any real urgency to gut them. If the hunt is going on for a few more hours I usually wait. If the conditions dictate that they should be gutted and cooled then I do it immediately.
HTH and good luck.

stretch56

I like to field dress my deer a.s.a.p.
A little less of a mess to clean up at home and less to dispose of later.

Phil from Maine

Same here and besides it is to far to drag and most deer are larger up this way.

PreacherTony

I wouldn't even think about leaving the guts in! Wild .... as far as the tenderloins, unless your shooting a 6 month old, there is alot of meat with them.

Gut 'em right away ..... get the body cooling as soon as possible .... IMO

kevin1

If I'm hunting in my own woods I drag them to the garage whole, for trips afield I gut them before leaving.

ChrisAU

I've never done anything but drag them to a point where I can get the 'ol pick-up truck to the deer. Then again, our cleaning spot is part of one of the areas I use, and is only about 10 miles from the other.

MdDave

DID I READ THAT RIGHT. you dont take the tenderloins..[:-]. man ur missin the best part. so i know for sure if ur not takin the tenderloin ur not gettin the inner loins or the "fish" that is the BEST! meat on the deer.. my opinion anyway. ive heard of people killin deer jus for the loin.. shoot them let em lay cut out the loin an go on. guess everyone does things there own way